Cold Weather Dangers Dogs May Be Exposed to

Snow can be fun, but know the dangers...

winter dangers for dogs, courtesy of ofrockwood, morguefile.com

When winter approaches it may leave much more than a cover of white snow, freezing temperatures and icicles hanging down a roof top. Indeed winter season may hinder several unexpected dangers that dog owners may not be aware of and that often are unfortunately discovered the hard way. Responsible dog ownership requires much more than feeding dogs and taking them out for daily walks. Using the better safe than sorry approach will ensure your dog is safe and kept out of harm's way this winter season.

Many of these winter dangers are caused by the weather itself, but more likely than not, humans play a good part of causing part of the trouble. Because knowledge is ultimately power, well educated dog owners will be able to do their best in recognizing potential cold weather dangers and therefore they will prevent them from occurring in the first place.

Brilliant Ideas for those trips out in the snow...

How to Keep Your Dog Safe This Winter

Winter Hazards to Keep Away from Dogs

Antifreeze

When it comes to winter hazards, antifreeze makes it to the top as one of the most dangerous products pets are expose to. While radiator antifreeze may be an essential item for the car's cooling system, it is unfortunate that every year, several pets get poisoned by lapping up some of this potentially dangerous liquid. One of the main causes of antifreeze being lapped up is the fact that it has a sweet appealing taste.

Owners should be very careful in cleaning up any anti-freeze spills and store anti-freeze containers in places out of the dog's reach. Should a spill occur, the area should be cleaned up and cat litter or sawdust should be placed on the stain to absorb any residual product.

All it really takes to poison a dog is an amount as small as 3 to 4 teaspoons. Upon ingestion, dogs may appear to be getting better within 12 hours but within 36 to 72 hours severe kidney failure sets in. Purchasing propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol according to the ASPCA is a good option to avoid trouble (even though it may still cause similar toxic effects but to a much lesser extent), but owners must remember that dogs can still lap up spills from other vehicles in their vicinity.

De-icing Products

A leisurely walk in the snow may appear as a fun activity, but de-icing products may be irritant to the dog's paws and even toxic upon being ingested. It is best to carefully wash and wipe dry the dog's feet and stomach area to avoid the dog from licking potentially chemical substances off. If dog owners must use ice melt, they can look for some labeled as ''safe for pets''.

Ice melts tends to stick on the pet's fur and feet so there is really no easy way to get around this. Shaving the hair between the dog's toes may help minimize the chance of clinging ice balls along with chemicals, while special products may protect the dog's paws from icy surfaces. The use of dog boots may help minimize the problem.

Winter Relief For Arthritic Dogs

Cosequin DS is a nutritional supplement to help your dog maintain healthy joints. As your pet ages, it’s common for her joints to become less flexible, which impacts her mobility and quality of life. Cosequin DS is the top recommended brand of veterinarians to support and maintain the health of your dog’s joints. The only glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate supplement that has been shown safe, effective, and bioavailable in peer-reviewed, published, controlled, U.S. veterinary studies, Cosequin DS helps support cartilage production and protect existing cartilage from breakdown. It’s manufactured following standards similar to those practiced by the pharmaceutical industry. Recommended initial administration period is 4 to 6 weeks, though some dogs may respond in a shorter period of time. May be fed to your dog directly or crumbled and mixed with food.

Other Dog Winter Hazards

Conditions and Situations Likely to Arise in Dogs During the Winter

Frostbite

When cold winds and low temperatures combine, dogs may get frostbite even within minutes of exposure to cold. Frostbite is just a medical term given to depict tissue damage derived from the exposure to cold temperatures.The most likely areas to be affected are the tips of a dog's ears, tails, male genitals and paws.

Signs of frostbite in dogs consist of the following: bright red skin at first, followed by very cold skin which hardens and becomes pale or gray.Then as the frostbite starts to advance the tissue dies, causing the skin to become black and start sloughing.

Hypothermia

When the thermometer plummets, dogs may suffer from hypothermia when left outdoors. It does not take long for a dog's skin to suffer from frostbite and the dog's internal core temperature to dangerously drop. While a dog's temperature is generally anywhere between 100.5 to 102.5 degrees, dogs suffering from hypothermia, will go well below that range.Senior dogs, young puppies or dogs debilitated from a disease like hypothyroidism, heart disease or kidney disease may be more prone to hypothermia.

Mild cases may be treated at home using blankets, or using a heating pad being careful never to allow direct skin contact but rather placing protective layers between the pad and the dog's skin. Severe cases require immediate veterinary intervention.Symptoms suggesting hypothermia are as follows: lethargy, shivering stiffened muscles, low heart rate, slower breathing,dilated pupils, coma and eventually death.

Arthritis

Seniors dogs may wake up considerably stiff on cold winterly mornings. They may be helped out with nice warm blankets, perhaps the addition of some glucosamine supplements and lots of TLC! Severe cases of arthritis may require prescription medications.

Dry, Itchy Skin

The dry winter weather along with the use of heating systems in homes, may make dogs particularly prone to dry, itchy skin. Dogs therefore, may develop scaly dry skin making dogs feel prone to itching and scratching. These dogs should benefit from a nice oatmeal bath every now and then which will help sooth the skin. Providing treats with Omega Fatty Acids or supplementing with fatty acid rich products for dogs may be another great way to help the skin get better.

Getting Lost

Ever wondered why so many dogs get lost during the winter months? According to the ASPCA, during a snowstorm dogs may lose their sense of smell and get lost. For this reason, it is best to ensure your dog wears its ID tags on his collar at all times, or gets micro-chipped. Best of all, dogs should simply not be allowed out on their own when snow storms are approaching.

As seen, winter does not have to necessary mean trouble. Cautious owners are responsible owners who are educated about winter dangers and practice the better safe than sorry approach. Winter can be a fun and great season to spend along with our four legged companions!

For further reading

Are poinsettias toxic to dogs, cats or children? Poinsettias: these beautiful star shaped red blooms effectively bring a whiff of Christmas spirit to homes along with adorned Christmas trees and stockings hanging off a fireplace. Yet, for years these...

How to Prevent and Treat Frostbite in DogsIt is a sad fact that every year as the winter season approaches numerous dogs become victim of frostbite. The good news however is that knowledge is power and frostbite can ultimately be greatly prevented...

Antifreeze Poisoning in Pets It is readily accessible, it is easy to lap up and it smells and tastes sweet. Every year, hundreds of dogs and cats are lured to lick some up from a small puddle under the car's leaking radiator.. We are...

How and when to induce vomiting in your dogA time may come when we find out too late that our puppy or dog has ingested something potentially harmful or even poisonous requiring treatment at once. There are are a few things that can be done at home...

Comments

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Cleo Huntsman

7 years agofrom New Jersey

I am new to ice and snow and did not know about the antifreeze and de-icing products. I appreciate the information in the article. Thank you.

Susan Zutautas

8 years agofrom Ontario, Canada

Just wanted to let you know that I started giving my dog 1000 mg of wild salmon oil once a day. The itching has slowed right down and the places where he was scratching are starting to disappear. I had both my dogs on a raw diet for about two years. A year ago I had to put them on kibble, as I could no longer afford to feed them the raw diet. While on raw they got the wild salmon oil. I should have left that in their diet. So glad that I read your article, as I have a much happier dog now. Thanks so much!

Susan Zutautas

8 years agofrom Ontario, Canada

Very good article. I have Newfoundlanders and they just love the snow! My male though has been experiencing itchy dry patches and I have been trying to figure out what is causing this. Will now try the Omega fatty acid route. Thanks!

ocbill

9 years agofrom hopefully somewhere peaceful and nice

great information. it reminds me of the st. bernards I had. I remember them the most because they were so loyal& playful(the one the didn't run away). They were still a great ball of fun even with the constant slobber on my clothes.

Dave

9 years agofrom Lancashire north west England

Excellent hub full of sound advise. I hope , like me dog owners become much more aware of the conditions. This is very apt for this winter were we are experiencing the coldest {U.K.} for many years. Thank you.

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